Pete previews Texas

The Orioles went to St. Petersburg with three possibilities regarding their playoff future. Host a game Thursday for the A.L. East crown, host a wild card game Friday, or hit the road for the wild card.

The worst case scenario won out, and it’s a shame for Orioles fans.

They missed out on their chance to celebrate with the team for making the playoffs. They finished the season on the road — and now could end their season away from Camden Yards.

Compare that to the good fortune of Oakland which celebrated twice with its fans. First they went crazy when locking up a post season spot, then again Wednesday when they clinched the A.L. West.

But as long as they have a game on the schedule, hope remains, and the fact it’s a one-game playoff works to their advantage.

Texas has lost seven out of nine games, throwing their five game lead in the toilet over the span of a week. They aren’t exactly rippling with confidence. And despite the Orioles history in Arlington, moments of misery that include a 30-3 loss in 2007, and a bludgeoning this year that saw them give up 9 runs in one inning, one game works to their favor.

They will face a rookie pitcher, albeit a talented one, in Yu Darvish. But after watching some of the best pitching they faced all season, Darvish might look like Triple A. Chris Davis laid out that thought last night to me, and did so with a grin on his face. With his six game HR streak coming to an end on Wednesday, I asked if he was ready to start a new one. “Yep”, was the simple answer.